Beginning in 2002, under the leadership of General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani media faced a crucial development that would lead to a boom in Pakistani electronic media and pave the way for political influence. The new liberal media laws have broken the state`s monopoly on electronic media. Television and FM broadcasting licences have been granted to private media. PEMRA grants licences for audiovisual media and distribution services in the following categories, namely: According to an instruction given by PEMRA to its licensees, the broadcasting of Indian content on local networks in Pakistan has been banned. In addition, broadcast programmes produced by international organisations require prior authorisation from PEMRA. PEMRA has also prohibited the operator of audiovisual media or distribution services from broadcasting, redistributing or distributing programmes or advertisements if PEMRA considers that such a particular programme or advertisement violates the ideology of Pakistan or is likely to provoke hatred between peoples or harm the maintenance of public order or is likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity or national security. is dangerous or pornographic, obscene or vulgar, or is offensive to generally accepted standards of decency. The root of freedom of expression in Article 19 goes back to South Asia, when a person was directly sentenced to death for uttering a single word against the government. The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees freedom of expression and the fundamental condition of media freedom. They left a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and promised to challenge the „draconian changes” in court. The media enjoy wide freedom of expression, despite political pressure and direct bans, sometimes administered by political actors. [2] Political pressure on the media is mainly indirect.
A tool widely used by the government is to cut off „hostile” media from state advertising. With draconian laws, the government has also banned or officially silenced popular TV channels. Pakistan`s Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has been used to silence broadcast media by suspending licenses or simply threatening to do so. In addition, the media are also threatened by non-state actors involved in the current conflict. [2] The journalist`s security situation has improved and the number of journalists killed in Pakistan has also decreased significantly. [3] [4] However, press freedom in Pakistan continues to decline. [5] [6] Freedom of the press in Pakistan is legally protected by Pakistani law as set out in its constitutional amendments, while sovereignty, national integrity and moral principles in general are protected by the Specified Media Act, the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002 and the Code of Conduct 2010. In Pakistan, the Code of Conduct and the Regulatory Act include a set of rules for the publication, dissemination and dissemination of news and the operation of media organizations operating independently or in the country. Traditionally, however, when the news media has angered those in power, their response has not always been limited to law enforcement. „Essentially, the military makes all the important decisions regarding security, terrorism, foreign relations, the economy, what can be discussed, what can`t — about almost everything,” Rashid said.
„The role of the army is much more important than the role of the civilian government. We have a hybrid system that is very inclined to favour the military. And controlling the media is something they`ve wanted to do for a long time. The news media in Pakistan has always been heavily regulated by law. The Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression of every citizen as well as the freedom of the press. In 2010, the Constitution recognized citizens` right to information by including Article 19-A. The revised rules also include „content against Pakistan`s cultural and moral tendencies,” according to Dawn, as well as content that could „destroy” morality and harm children`s mental and physical development. The rules would apply to all social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, Legal Affairs Minister Farogh Naseem said.
Under the rules, social media companies should establish offices in Pakistan within three months and appoint a compliance officer and a complaints officer to handle complaints within seven business days. Today, there are more than a hundred public and private radio stations due to more liberal media regulation. FM broadcasting licences are issued to parties that undertake to open FM broadcasting stations in at least one rural town as well as in the major city of their choice. Pakistanis receive four-week internships with U.S. media organizations. Among the documents required for the approval or „declaration” for the publication of a newspaper is a guarantee by the publisher to adhere to the Code of Ethics set out in the Annex to the Regulations of the Pakistan Press Council. Although the Press Council process has been silenced or paralyzed, these forms of interdependence laws could provide the government with additional means to impose draconian restrictions and measures against newspapers. PNNABRO requires, among other requirements, that a publisher provide their bank details. It also has strict controls and regulations for the registration process. This requires not only logistical details, but also detailed information about publishers and content providers. The Press Council Ordinance is directly linked to the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Ordinance 2002 (PNNABRO). This legislation deals with the procedures for registering publications according to media ownership criteria.
In a sense, pakistan`s print media emerged with the mission of spreading the idea of Pakistan, which was seen as the best national option for the Muslim minority in British India and a form of self-defense against oppression by the Hindu majority. [2] „They forced the resignation of television channels and the written press. There is no investigative journalism – people are too afraid to do it. Journalists have been beaten, tortured and shot. We have one of the highest death rates of journalists in the world,” added Rashid, who serves on CPJ`s board of directors. International media watchdogs also do not have access to Pakistan; Steven Butler, CPJ`s Asia Program coordinator, was denied entry in 2019.